Thursday on the Morning Show we shared the story of colon cancer survivour Murray Harrison of Notre Dame who potentially saved his life by simply not throwing in the garbage the CancerCare Manitoba ColonCheck home screening kit he received when he turned 50.

The father of two daughters and grandfather of two soon to be three, and husband to Cheryl, takes us back to the beginning.

 

 

And because Murray didn't throw that home screening ColonCheck kit in the garbage he is here today to share his cancer surviour story.

Today we addressed the stigma, awkwardness and outright embarrassment some of us have regarding colon cancer and the process to screen for it.

The question still lingers for Murray what would have happened if he had thrown the screening kit out, but he didn't and did use the screening test.

 

 

The good news is, after treatment, Murray is cancer free, and can continue to live a healthy life with his family.

 

 

We can't thank Murray enough for sharing his story, and hopefully encouraging you to get ColonChecked!

Some facts about Colon Cancer:

  • The exact cause of this cancer is hard to pinpoint. However, we know that tiny growths, called polyps, sometimes form on the inner surface of the colon or rectum. Polyps are not cancerous but, over time, a slow-growing polyp may turn into cancer.

  • Colon cancer is expected to be the most commonly diagnosed cancer in Manitoba this year.

  • In 2017, an estimated 970 Manitobans will be diagnosed with colon cancer and approximately 350 people will die from it.

  • ColonCheck is Manitoba’s provincial screening program for colon cancer with the goal of preventing cancer or finding it early when there is a better chance of successful treatment. This is done by mailing home screening tests (fecal occult blood tests or FOBT) to average risk Manitobans between the ages of 50 and 74. Participants complete the tests in their homes and return the samples to the lab for analysis. If the result is abnormal, the individual is referred for a follow-up colonoscopy.

  • It is a simple test that you do in your own bathroom. It is a test that looks for hidden blood in the stool which can be a sign of polyps or early stage cancer.

  • It is recommended that most men and women between the ages of 50 to 74 with no symptoms of colon cancer get screened every two years using the home screening test.